Personally, I think this post was started by someone who runs some kind of business in the methow valley. Knowing it would cause so much drama on this board, and subsiquently pique the interest of all those online lurkers who really don't know much about the Methow. Now all those guys are wondering what all the hub-bub is about, pullin out their maps, and making plans to check it out this weekend. So whatever you all do, keep this post alive by bickering back and forth about 'secret spots'. The longer it lives, the more this business man will prosper....

The reports you see here are also given freely to anyone who walks into any fly shop in Washington. When the fishing gets good the shops tell people to go. I have mentioned Grimes lake here (when the season was open) and still only saw the other two guys who fish it regularly. In that report I mentioned trout well over 20" biggest there was 26" this year. You would expect that to get people moving. I went to crab creek right after a heavily visited post and didn't see anyone the entire weekend day that I was there. The fact is that anyone can read current reports on the internet, but most don't have the time or energy to go.

With more cooperation between fellow fly fishers we could really make every trip an enjoyable experience. Let's not get down on people unless it's really necessary.

The reports you see here are also given freely to anyone who walks into any fly shop in Washington. When the fishing gets good the shops tell people to go. I have mentioned Grimes lake here (when the season was open) and still only saw the other two guys who fish it regularly. In that report I mentioned trout well over 20" biggest there was 26" this year.

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I am not a fly shop owner.

Those lake rainbows aren't steelhead. I know many places for a crack at a 20" plus lake fish.
Steelhead are different, almost mystical to most people including me.

Sorry to keep this going.

I am going to stop now.

TO ALL THEIR OWN MY FRIENDS AND MAY THE STEELHEAD RISE TO MEET YOUR FACE WITH ITS TAIL! :beer2:

I've been fishing the green at flaming geyser for the past week and catch about 15 fish an hour, the biggest being 42"... the best time to go is tomorrow afternoon.... I think nobody should fish the north end because the fish have all died up there... go to the South... Cause we all know the south is where it's at....

I am just trying to explain and defend those posters that are getting labeled as asses.

To make the point that they aren't just being "mean" or "rude" for no reason.

I find it hard to believe that anyone who fly fishes is rotten to the core and just inherantly rude.

Oh and I know all those rivers have been written up repeatedly, I read every fly fishing mag. like most of us. I know they aren't secrets, I have all the classic books like most of us.

I still am telling you all that there is a HELL of a lot of correlation to these good fishing reports online mentioning specific rivers and the hordes.

A report on this site will bring more people to the said river the next weekend than any magazine would. Try it for yourself sometime.

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It would be an interesting experiment, when this thread has long died, to post up a phony report about a stream that has never seen alot of action in the past and see what kind of turn out it gets the next weekend.

I fished the Methow two weeks ago and it was crowded but productive. I releaed two steelies, and a handfull of nice bows. Where are you looking at fishing, what is your approach...boat..or just wading or both? PM me and I will give you some areas to check that you can drive to. I also have a family member with some land there you can access privately that has some very productive spots.....you can get some water to yourself. He also has some ATV's we loan out to folks to cover more area, and we use them for deer and bird hunting as well.

I would note that some fly folks I have met are born and raised asshole to the bone. I had a guy on the skagit recently crowd me from up stream over the space of about an hour. He was about three hundred yards up from me and slowly worked down in to me. I was there before him, invited him to take my spot because I had just hit a dolly and a truck load of pinks while looking for that dolly. He said no thanks and went up higher....as I released fish he worked into my water and never caught a thing....then finally yelled at me....."why do you have to crowd my drift"....and I was inthe same spot I started in hours before. He came down and got in my face and tried to hit me and I put him on his ass in the current and waved as he thrashed his way down to the next hole. It's the law of averages....people are born every second.....some just suck. Though he had balls....he was like 5'8'' and I am 6'5'' 320lbs.......I wouldn't have had the brass ones to pull that.

You bring up one of the main differences between those who are primarily trout fishermen or those who have fished with casting or spinning gear for years before taking up fly fishing.

When fishing for steelhead or salmon, fly fishermen start upstream at the top of a run and fish down through the run taking a step every cast or two until the whole run has been covered, which is very different than how most folks fish for trout or most folks fishing with casting or spinning gear fish for steelhead or salmon. This has been the accepted stream etiquette for fly fishers of steelhead and salmon for over a century.

Unforotunately, this means that when someone who has not been fly fishing for steelhead or salmon very long and who doesn't know this is the long accepted way to fish a run comes upon someone who has, it seems like the fellow fishing the long accepted way of moving through a run is being an arse, when he is simply following long-established steelhead/salmon fly fishing protocol.

I pretty much fish every area from top to bottom a step at a time, and most always move on as someone works the area above me, particularly if I have been there a while. But this kid waded out in shorts and basketball shoes after tossing a Budlight can on the bank...and worked a hole way above me and produced nothing...and then quickly tried to bully me out....it was just too quick for me to respond. I stayed in the area because it kept producing fish every other cast with no travel on my part...but from the time he showed up, he was welcome to the hole and I offered it immediatly...he just got pissed that I was catching fish and he wasn't and then got violent....I just don't have time in this lifetime for that kind of crap.

I still haven't figured out why people are willing to drive so far to catch a tired fish. Methow fish really don't fight like a fish closer to the ocean. For us that live close it is just a place to finally fish for the "mythical" fish. I personally don't post any fishing reports on this board anymore. You get flamed for posting anything positive or negative. I will gladly answer with PM's to questions at times though.

When fishing for steelhead or salmon, fly fishermen start upstream at the top of a run and fish down through the run taking a step every cast or two until the whole run has been covered, which is very different than how most folks fish for trout or most folks fishing with casting or spinning gear fish for steelhead or salmon. This has been the accepted stream etiquette for fly fishers of steelhead and salmon for over a century.

Unforotunately, this means that when someone who has not been fly fishing for steelhead or salmon very long and who doesn't know this is the long accepted way to fish a run comes upon someone who has, it seems like the fellow fishing the long accepted way of moving through a run is being an arse, when he is simply following long-established steelhead/salmon fly fishing protocol.

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and that statement right there is why fly fisherman get such a bad rep.

ive witnessed this very thing so many different times. i have gotten into 3 fights with guys over this very thing (never happened to me, i just said something to the guy who did it to a gear guy) its very rude to fish like that when others are fishing a run before you. weather they are tossing bait or swinging flys.

if there is someone fishing a run you want, wait your turn. its that simple. i have and always will jump someones arse if i witness that take place. it it means getting my arse kicked then oh well.

if its that big a deal that you must fish down on top of someone like that, then at least do the decent thing and ask if you fish through the drift. most people will say yes. unless they them selves are arseholes.

NOW then if the guy ahead of you is moving down the drift just like you then there is no problem. :beer2: and i like those kind of guys.

i dont mind sharing a hole to anyone not matter how they are fishing, as long as they show respect to the or the people who are fishing the hole ahead of them.